Well it’s been a crazy summer, and after my random unannounced hiatus, I’m here to deliver two mini-reviews for the albums I told you I was going to review and proceeded to never do. I will be much more active and strict in my update schedule now that I’m back to the grind/at school, and I hope you guys can look to me for your latest music cravings! For now, on with the reviews.

Passion Pit- Gossamer

What began as a dedicated EP for a soon-to-be ex of band leader Michael Angelakos has become one of the most energizing and exciting electro-pop acts on the scene. The groups’ sophomore effort, Gossamer, has much of the same catchy, synth-soaked appeal of the debut Manners, but with a much darker lyrical tone.
Angelakos was going through a lot of emotional crises during the creation of this album. Fits of depression, self hatred, and world-weariness were experienced on a daily basis, and the emotional responses to these difficulties is heard clearly in both vocal lines and the lyrics themselves. What makes this tone so vivid is what juxtaposes it; a bright synth, a danceable beat, and a major tonality. There were elements of a darker Michael in some of the the lyrical content of past works, but never with such prominence can they be heard than in Gossamer. However, there are still rays of hope that shine though the dreary, and it’s all sunshine in one of my favorite tracks, “I’ll Be Alright”.
As much as I enjoyed this album, it really didn’t live up to my expectations. Maybe I was expecting the same catchiness that has hot-glued numerous Manners tracks to my brain, and maybe that was too much to ask. Overall, the album is still an enjoyable ride, but it may take a few more listens to fully appreciate what I expected to hook me from 00:01.

Best Tracks: I’ll Be Alright, Constant Conversations

Dirty Projectors-Swing Lo Magellan

After Bitte Orca, a sun drenched, vocal harmony driven wonder of an outing, I think the Dirty Projectors wanted to move in 5 different directions. They wanted to mesh everything that they could into their sound without sacrificing what made them great. In my opinion, they did exactly that with Swing Lo Magellan.
What initially blew me off my heels was the integration of a more electronic sound. The first track has something like 808s, ladies in gentlemen. On the other side of the spectrum, the use of strings from past endeavors (including their work with Bjork) has taken a larger prominence, but they still have that distorted guitar to cut through and bring a rock attitude into all the other layers.
To put it simply, I love the album. Haley, Amber, and David take their harmonies and vocal prowess to new heights, and the disjointed-and-yet-whole guitar melodies and strumming are complimented by a wonderful rhythm section who are doing something new, while still maintaining the character I’ve come to love. For fans of previous works from the Dirty Projectors, I have one statement; If you like that, you’re gonna love this.

Best Tracks: Dance for You, Swing Lo Magellan, OffSpring Are Blank

So that’s that. I’ll be back tomorrow with the review for the newest Animal Collective album, Centipede Cz. Thanks for reading!